Of the 131,000 visits to the hospital’s emergency departments last year, about 40 per cent could have received care sooner if they went to an urgent care centre, according to estimates from Windsor Regional

Once the excitement surrounding the announcement of the mega-hospital plans fade, the realty is this nearly $2-billion dream will require a municipal tax increase or levy in both Windsor and Essex County.

Mayor Drew Dilkens says residents in the city’s core come out on top in this deal because services will still be offered at the Ouellette campus of Windsor Regional Hospital, while a new emergency department will be built at the former Grace Hospital site